STEM   

BCI - systems allow direct communication between the brain and external devices - promise transformative applications in medicine, communication, and workforce enhancement. But because they interact directly with the brain, they raise novel ethical challenges that go beyond typical digital technology concerns. Elon Musk's 'Neuralink' is one example of BCI technology. The study group will be based on the 2025 book by Nita Farahany The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology. Reading of the book is not required; all resource material will be provided for your review before class.

Katrina Rosculet has an MD from the University of Michigan, and a Masters in Bioethics from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Many manual medicine treatments (MMTs; osteopathic manipulation, chiropractic, others) are deemed to be non-effective and non-science based. Is this fair? We will explore laboratory-based inquiries related to MMTs efficacy. Such inquiries are critical from numerous perspectives: medical, financial, emotional, and philosophical. Discussion topics include 1) laboratory modeling of MMTs, 2) why MMTs are considered alternative or complementary, 3) pitfalls of eponymous treatments, 4) lack of scientific approaches to proving efficacy and how to resolve this.

Dr. Standley earned a PhD in medical physiology and has conducted research in cell biology, biomechanics, and gene expression for nearly 40 years. He has taught thousands of medical and graduate students at several universities and has served as a founding faculty member at three medical schools. He is a Professor Emeritus at The University of Arizona and currently lives in Michigan.

Due to habitat loss from use of pesticides, climate change, and insufficient milkweed, the monarch population has declined 85% over the last 25 years. This class focuses on the amazing life cycle of the monarch butterfly and steps individuals can take to support monarch survival. The importance of milkweed and native habitat will be discussed. A session highlight is going outside to release monarchs to begin their amazing 2,000-mile journey to central Mexico for the winter.

Retired educator Carolyn Siebers has been a nature lover with a fascination for butterflies and birds since childhood. During the summer months, Carolyn stalks patches of milkweed looking for monarch eggs to raise into butterflies for release into the wild.

Complex technology is one of the few things that distinguish humans from other animals. This class will highlight dozens of very old, kind of old and new technologies and discuss their key insights, timing, and impact on society. Some of these inventions are so widely used that we don't often consider their impact (e.g., writing, language, toilets, radio, plumbing, electricity, the transistor). Please come and join the discussion!

Charlie Taylor is a retired research scientist from Pfizer drug discovery in Ann Arbor. He earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience, studying the biology of insect vision. He has taught similar classes for Chelsea Adult Learners since 2008.

This course is based on the Great Courses video series by astrophysicist Sarah Rugheimer of the University of Edinburgh. Her lectures include the design, fabrication, and launch of the JWST, the discoveries it has made so far, its search for life on exoplanets, and what discoveries may lie in the future from it and succeeding telescopes. We will watch and discuss two half-hour lectures each week. See bit.ly/OLLI_JWST for lecture summaries.

Craig Stephan, Ph.D. is a retired physicist from Ford Motor Co. and Argonne National Lab. He has led many previous science-oriented OLLI study groups including Cosmology, The Higgs Boson, Astrophysics, and The Science of Climate Change.

The emphasis will be on understanding the scientific basis of drug therapy and how it is regulated/managed in the US. Topics will focus on the history of drug discovery and the science of drug therapeutics. This will be a group discussion format led by the course instructor. The sessions are expected to last for up to two hours. No prior reading materials are required. The intent is to give the participants a better understanding for the medications they take.

Frank Ascione is a retired Professor from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. I taught courses on OTC therapeutics, patient medication counseling, scientific drug literature evaluation, and regulation of drug products. My research focused on the medication use process and consumer understanding/use of medications. Prior to academia, I practiced in hospital pharmacy and geriatrics.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming our world at an unprecedented pace, reshaping work, science, creativity, education, and human relationships while raising profound questions about safety, ethics, and the future of humanity. In this five-session seminar, we will examine the most important AI Headlines, explore the underlining concepts, draw on insights from neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and the social sciences, and discuss what these advances may mean for our future.

Deb Mukherjee has been leading classes at OLLI for over a decade.